Close Out Summer With One More Quick Getaway
A visit to one of our 63 National Parks combines great adventure and welcome relaxation.
From prominent peaks to verdant valleys, sandy shorelines to desert dunes, our national parks offer inspiring scenic drives, hiking trails for all levels, wildlife sightings, dark skies for stargazing, and so much more. There’s truly something for everyone.
We’re highlighting five national parks that are especially popular during summer, when the longer days allow extra time to explore. With convenient, comfortable lodging at nearby Best Western® Hotels & Resorts locations, you can rest easy in well-appointed rooms or suites and convenient locations just where you want to be. Life’s a trip, and Best Western Hotels & Resorts makes your travels as smooth as possible so you can focus on moments that matter.
1. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
The world’s largest concentration of hoodoos takes center stage at this high-elevation park’s natural amphitheater. The vivid, otherworldly rock-spire landscape is especially stunning at sunrise or sunset. It also features ranger-led programs and annual events like the Geology Festival and the Astronomy Festival (stargazing here is phenomenal).
Hop on and off the seasonal daytime Bryce Canyon Shuttle to explore the park’s most popular overlooks, trails, and amenities—it’s free with park admission and especially convenient for day-hiking the many trails.
Where to Stay:
Shuttle stops in Bryce Canyon City include Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn and Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel, which are less than a half-mile apart and only a 5-minute drive from the park entrance. Both properties offer indoor/outdoor pools and a hot tub, plus Ruby’s Inn has an on-site diner, steakhouse, general store, and basketball court.
2. Glacier National Park, Montana
Spanning more than a million acres, Glacier National Park offers great opportunities for scenic drives, guided boat tours, and hiking. Make sure to bring your binoculars so you can get a closer look at the majestic elk, eagles, diminutive pikas, and Clark’s nutcrackers. Sightings are at their height in summer.
In the evenings, travelers can listen to local tribal members share cultural presentations as part of the park’s Native America Speaks program, the National Park Service’s longest-running Indigenous speaker series.
Where to Stay:
Located in the gateway resort town of Whitefish, about a half-hour from the park, the Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge is a perfect launchpad for your national park adventure. You’ll find a year-round outdoor pool, a hot tub, and a convenient hotel shuttle to downtown shops and restaurants.
3. Yosemite National Park, California
Famous for its waterfalls, lush meadows, high-alpine forests, and granite formations, Yosemite has become extremely popular. Whether you’re taking a sightseeing tour, riding on the Sugar Pine Steam Railroad, or enjoying water sports and fishing on Bass Lake, there are so many ways to immerse yourself in the beautiful surroundings. One highlight is the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, a spectacular woodland of over 500 mature giant sequoias first protected in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln’s signed legislation.
Where to Stay:
The Best Western Plus Yosemite Gateway Inn in Oakhurst is just about 15 miles from the park’s South Entrance. Enjoy the hotel’s indoor/outdoor pools, rustic lodge atmosphere, full-service restaurant and lounge, and lush forest setting. Mural artwork in the guest rooms depicts local scenery.
4. Acadia National Park, Maine
Located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, just south of the charming town of Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park is the perfect place to get wanderlust on one of our nation’s most beautiful shorelines. Take in stunning views from Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Atlantic seaboard, or by driving the Park Loop Road. Get your steps in by hiking your choice of 150 miles of trails that span summits and seashore, or biking along historic carriage roads. Enjoy a ranger-led boat tour on the Iselesford Historic Cruise, and visit signature places like a 200-year-old lobster fishing village. No matter how you choose to explore Maine’s rocky coastline, you’re sure to enjoy your trip to this incredible park.
Where to Stay:
To help you get an early start, stay at the Best Western Acadia Park Inn, which is open seasonally and located only 2.7 miles from the Hulls Cove Entrance. It’s also only 1 mile from the fare-free Island Explorer bus route that can take you into the park or to downtown Bar Harbor.
Just down the street from the hotel, you’ll find a popular barbecue restaurant, ice cream stand, and miniature golf. Unwind in the hotel’s outdoor areas that include a heated pool (summer only), green spaces with picnic tables, a kids’ play area with a swing set, a wood-burning firepit perfect for s’mores, cornhole, and bocce and badminton courts.
5. Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Despite the heat (highs around 90 degrees), summer is a popular time to visit Badlands National Park. The park’s ancient fossil beds tell incredible stories, and distinctive rock formations and mixed-grass prairie inspire the imagination. Wildlife sightings might include bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs, and birds of prey.
The paved, two-lane, 39-mile Badlands Loop Road (SD 240) traverses the park’s North Unit. The loop includes more than a dozen stop-worthy scenic overlooks and trailheads, plus the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Head inside to see museum exhibits and the working Fossil Preparation Lab.
Where to Stay:
The Best Western Plains Motel in Wall is less than 10 minutes from the Pinnacles Entrance to the park and offers easy access to the Badlands Loop Road. After exploring the park, return to the motel to relax in one of its two pools or hot tub, or walk a few blocks to historic Wall Drug Store, a popular roadside stop dating to the 1930s that serves breakfast and lunch with a side of family-friendly fun: souvenir shopping and quirky photo ops.